Speaking of anime, pilgrimages to sacred sites are a thing! It's not uncommon these days for towns that are the setting for anime to collaborate with the anime to promote the town. Did you know that Detective Conan, where murders occur almost every week, also has sacred sites? Of course, we're not talking about scary murder scenes. You can enjoy a trip around these sacred sites as a great way to travel! Today, we'll introduce 10 sacred sites that appeared in Detective Conan!
10th Place: Tokyo Tower & Skytree
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Tokyo Tower is a symbol of Japan and a representative sacred place. It could easily have been ranked number one, but since it has appeared in various works, it's not as well known as a sacred place for Detective Conan, so we've placed it in 10th place. In the anime, it appears as Touto Tower and Bell Tree Tower, a tragic location often used for bombings and shootings.
9th Place: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and National Police Agency
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
When you think of Inspector Megure, you think of "Megure from the Metropolitan Police Department." Naturally, the Metropolitan Police Department is also considered a Conan sanctuary. The reason we included the National Police Agency is because Amuro, who is hugely popular in the anime, is a member of the National Police Agency. Perhaps Amuro is among them...? The National Police Agency also appears in "Detective Conan the Movie: The Darkest Nightmare," so be sure to check it out!
8th Place: London
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
This city was also the setting for "Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street," so there are many things here that immediately bring to mind Conan. However, since it's not within easy reach of other places overseas, it's ranked 8th. If you have the chance, there are plenty of must-see spots, including Baker Street, the area that inspired the movie's title, and the area around Big Ben, where Shinichi confessed his feelings to Ran!
7th Place: Hibiya Park
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Tokyo is the setting for the latest movie, "Zero the Enforcer." It may be a little early to call it a holy place, as it was only recently released, but the locations where the film was set have become somewhat holy places, with people appearing with cameras in hand. One of the most recommended spots is Hibiya Park. This is the location of a scene featuring Amuro and Kazami, and it's amazing how popular Amuro is...
6th Place: Omi Shrine
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Our sixth place pick is Omi Shrine, which appeared in "Kara Kurenai no Koiuta"! I would have liked to rank this place higher, but Omi Shrine is famous as the sacred place of "Chihayafuru," and Omi Shrine has collaborated with the anime, so it has a strong Chihayafuru feel, so I put it in 6th place. Omi Shrine also appeared in promotional videos for Detective Conan.
5th Place: Ichijo Modoribashi Bridge
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Ichijo Modoribashi Bridge is a sacred Kyoto landmark that appeared in the seventh Detective Conan film, "Crossroads in the Ancient Capital." There's a scene in which Detective Conan's heroine, Ai Haibara, makes a phone call in front of this bridge. This movie features various sacred locations that also appear in the anime, such as Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Kyoto Station, but we chose Ichijo Modoribashi Bridge, which was used in a scene featuring Haibara Ai, as it is close to a bus stop and is easy to get to.
4th Place: Nap House
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Our fourth-place recommendation is the Nap House where Conan and Kid sat side by side in the 14th movie, "The Lost Ship in the Sky"! The location is on Sakushima Island in Aichi Prefecture, and is featured as a recommended spot on the island's official website. It's a sacred place that you definitely don't want to miss, as it's a famous scene in which the two characters, who are usually in the roles of pursuer and pursued, sit side by side.
3rd Place: Namba Hotei Shrine
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Our third place pick is Namba Hotei Shrine in Osaka! This shrine appeared in the third movie, "The Last Wizard of the Century." Apparently, this shrine is usually deserted, which is why we chose it as a sacred place exclusive to Detective Conan, a place that doesn't appear in other anime! It's also worth noting the high level of photographic accuracy.
2nd Place: Togetsukyo Bridge
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Our second place pick is Togetsukyo Bridge, which was also the subject of the theme song for "Kara Kurenai no Koibumi"! It also appears in the end credits of the movie version. In Detective Conan, it appears in a scene when the leaves are starting to turn red. If you're planning on visiting, we recommend going in the fall.
No. 1: Hokuei Town, Tottori Prefecture
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
Our top pick is a mecca for all Detective Conan fans and the hometown of creator Gosho Aoyama! It's famous as "Conan's Hometown," and you can experience Detective Conan in a variety of places, from Conan Street to objects and merchandise. Of course, the Furusatokan Museum, where you can experience a variety of things, is a must-see attraction. Hokuei Town is a town filled with Conan, so be sure to visit at least once!
Detective Conan Holy Lands Summary
Source: Detective Conan © Gosho Aoyama / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS
It would be endless to introduce all the holy sites, so this article introduces only a small selection of the best. The ranking of sacred sites varies greatly depending on which character you're a fan of, and you might get angry and say, "It's strange that sacred site isn't on the list!" (lol) But if you ever get a long vacation, why not try visiting the sacred sites yourself?
